Module 6, Sport Psychology Interventions (Self-Talk, Mindfulness and Self Compassion & Arousal Regulation Strategies) Flashcards
Self-Talk
- self talk:
◦ verbalizations or statements that are addressed
to the self
‣ can be said inside your head or out loud - very powerful
◦ can help an athlete attain their best performance
(positive self-talk)
◦ can also reduce an athlete’s confidence (negative
self-talk
Functions of Self-Talk
- self-talk is a natural process
◦ can be distracting (the internal self-talk)
‣ eg. thinking about what the media will say if
you do not make this shot
◦ BUT can also be practiced and used to:
‣ correct bad habits
‣ focus attention
‣ relaxation and activation control
‣ build self-confidence
‣ maintain exercise behaviour
Instructional Self-Talk
- instructional self-talk (to give instructions to self with a purpose on working on skills)
A. used for:
a. skill development (eg. learning how to sprint
- “fast arms” (self-talk cue))
b. skill execution (eg. soccer - “plant” foot
beside ball when shooting)
c. strategy development (eg. golf - where is the
wind blowing? how far am i from the hole?
what club am i going to use?)
d. performance improvement (eg. basketball -
follow through on jump shot)
Motivational Self-Talk
- motivational self-talk (used to motivate)
A. used for:
a. building self-confidence (eg. “you have done
this before”; “you are ready”)
b. to relax (eg. “breathe”; “empty your mind”)
c. to energize (eg. “let’s go!” “bring it on!”)
d. to increase effort (eg. “push hard” “you can
get there”)
Types of Self-Talk
- self talk can be:
◦ positive
‣ “this competition will challenge me to do
better”
◦ neutral - often instructional (to cue our attention,
what we want to focus on)
‣ “elbows in”
◦ negative (self-defeating)
‣ “i cannot compete with this person”
Responses to Self-Talk
- major implication:
◦ the type of self-talk you use will influence outcomes (eg. future thoughts, emotions, motivation, performance etc.)
Guidelines for Self-Talk Use
- short, specific phrases
◦ easy to remember, fit into routines - first person
◦ enhances personal meaning (makes it personal to
you)
◦ “i have got the endurance to push through” - present tense
◦ keeps focus on process, orients you to action
◦ “shoulders back” - speak kindly to yourself
◦ keeps a positive tone, motivating - repeat phrases often
◦ helps remember them, build them into routines,
and automate their use
Self-Talk Awareness
- most of us are not really aware of the type of self-talk we use, or its content
◦ studies show 70-80% of people’s self-talk is
negative - need to raise awareness before we can modify self-talk and evaluate change
Raising Awareness of Self-Talk
- self-talk logs
◦ record thoughts
‣ look for patterns (what triggers negative self-
talk?/ in what contexts is it most common for
you?) - the paper clip test
Paper-Clip Test
-> at the beginning of the day, put a number of paper clips (or other similar small items) in one pocket (having pockets that day is obviously important)
-> throughout the day, every time you notice yourself making a negative self-statement, take one of the paper clips and move it your other pocket
-> at the end of the day, count the number of negative self-statements (paper clips) you made
Eliminating Negative Self-Talk
- important for athletes to use positive self-talk
- negative self-talk needs to be replaced with positive self-talk
Eliminating Negative Self-Talk in 6 ways
- use the present tense
A. “I am” or “I will be”
a. “i am confident”, “i am trained” - use technical cues whenever possible
A. focus on what you need to be successful
a. “my heart is WAY too HIGH on this run”
versus
b. “I am running with arms low and am talking
deep breaths” - use cue words to remind yourself to stop thinking negatively
◦ we have a tendency to repeatedly have the same
negative thoughts over again
‣ “I can’t do this” instead say “power through” - change a negative thought to a positive one
◦ “I am too slow for this” instead say “I have been
training hard or I am ready for this” - provide evidence against the negative thought
◦ “this workout is too hard” instead “I have
successfully done hard workouts like this before,
I am ready for the challenge” - give a more positive reinterpretation of the situation
◦ “wow, the competition is really tough” instead “I
have a great opportunity to compete at my best
alongside these other athletes”
Mindfulness
paying attention to one’s present experience; being open & accepting of that experience
Self Compassion
- self-compassion involves offering non-judgmental understanding and compassion to oneself
- 3 components:
◦ self-kindness
◦ common humanity
◦ mindfulness
(Physiological) Arousal Regulation Strategies
breathing:
- diaphragmatic breathing increases oxygen, can stimulate relaxation response or sympathetic activation
progressive relaxation:
- involves tensing and relaxing specific muscles
meditation:
- allows for deep relaxation of the mind
autogenic training:
- focuses on feelings associated with limbs and muscles
- should become part of the athletes’ regular practice/habits; effectiveness increase over time as they become more automatic
- once familiar with these approaches, they can be used quickly in high-pressure situations